EU Delegation and Higher Colleges of Technology Inspire Female Leadership in AI in Ras Al Khaimah

The European Union Delegation to the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Ras Al Khaimah, hosted a Career Talk on “Women in Artificial Intelligence”, encouraging young women to pursue careers and leadership roles in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

The event highlighted the need to increase women’s participation in AI, noting that fewer than one in four of the people designing AI systems globally are women, a gap that limits innovation and the diversity of ideas shaping technological progress.

European Union

Opening the session, Her Excellency Lucie Berger, European Union Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, said: 

The EU is on a mission to equip women and girls with the digital competencies required nowadays, create pathways to leadership in this domain and ensure that AI policies and frameworks are ethical and inclusive.

This Career Talk explored the intersectionality of Artificial Intelligence across industries, from healthtech and fintech to schooling and security, emphasizing that AI now lies at the heart of most business models. Speakers touched on the risks of building algorithms on biased data and misinformation, underscoring the importance of ethics, fairness and balance in advancing human-centred innovation.

In his opening remarks, Dr Hassan Al Mheiri, Executive Director of the Higher College of Technology, Ras Al Khaimah Campus, spoke of the need to inspire young people and especially women to take the lead in the workplace: 

“By 2031, the UAE aims to be among the world's leading nations in AI. Emirati women are the changemakers who will make that vision a reality — who will ensure that artificial intelligence amplifies human potential rather than replaces human wisdom.

The future of AI will be shaped by those bold enough to claim their place in it. At HCT, we nurture curiosity and confidence in our students, empowering them to become innovators and changemakers who shape how technology serves society.”

The EU and UAE respective commitments to inclusivity in technology were also emphasised at the event.

Across Europe, targeted investments are being made to equip women and girls with digital skills, fund women-led AI startups, and promote frameworks that ensure AI is ethical and inclusive. The EU’s approach aims to create pathways to leadership for women in digital industries and to ensure that innovation grows business impact and benefits all of society.

European Union

In the UAE, the country’s achievements in advancing women’s participation in technology and leadership were highlighted as a model for the Gulf region. The panel of speakers represented inspiring examples of European and Emirati women shaping the future of AI today:

• Ms Jessica Scopacasa is the UAE-based founder of Olive Gaea, a sustainability initiative using AI designs to push innovation.   

• Dr Maysam al Abbadi, Entrepreneurship & Innovation expert who runs programmes for the Women in AI Middle East Region, and 

• Dr Eva Marie Muller-Stuler, the UAE-based Founder and Chief AI Officer for the Hummingbird Group.

• The moderator was Higher College of Technology’s own Ms Fatema AlAwadi. 

The stories of these AI pioneers demonstrated what can be achieved when women lead, and why more young women should be encouraged to join the field and shape its future.

The Career Talk event reflected strong EU-UAE collaboration in driving female innovation for societal good. Recent EU initiatives driving female participation in AI include an all-women “Ideathon” hosted at the DIFC Innovation Hub’s Dubai AI Campus, which focused on solving water challenges using AI, and an “AI for Sustainability Hackathon” co-hosted with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, where female-led teams - including from the Higher Colleges of Tech - competed for prizes with AI-designed sustainability initiatives.

The Career Talk is the latest in a series of Career Talks organised by the European Union Delegation as part of its broader effort to promote dialogue, inclusion, and collaboration in science, technology, and innovation across the UAE, with a special focus on empowering women to be at the forefront of the AI revolution.